Part of the reason why this Sentebale catastrophe has been churning away in the British tabloids is because few people believed that there could be some kind of mechanism in which Sophie Chandauka is thrown out of Sentebale. It’s an odd situation legally, because a majority of the board of trustees resigned in protest, as did Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso. Harry and Seeiso’s side has let it be known that they “expected” Chandauka’s “publicity stunt” interviews and her wild, nonsensical allegations. But would anything happen beyond what amounts to a PR war? Well, the UK’s Charity Commission is now investigating the situation, and Prince Harry and Sophie Chandauka released new statements:
The Charity Commission is to investigate the bitter dispute that led to the Duke of Sussex and several others resigning from the charity he co-founded. The watchdog said it had opened a case to examine “concerns raised” about Sentebale, following claims made by its head Sophie Chandauka.
Ms Chandauka told the BBC she welcomed the move by the commission, which comes after she said she had “blown the whistle” on issues including bullying and harassment, and warned of the prince’s “toxicity” for the charity.
Prince Harry said: “What has transpired over the last week has been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal.”
The duke, speaking on behalf of the former trustees and patrons, welcomed the watchdog’s announcement, saying it would be a “robust inquiry” which “we fully expect will unveil the truth that collectively forced us to resign”.
“We remain hopeful this will allow for the charity to be put in the right hands immediately, for the sake of the communities we serve,” said the prince.
The Charity Commission’s “regulatory compliance case” is the first step in assessing the complaints and allegations over what has happened at Sentebale, which was founded in 2006 to help children in southern Africa affected by HIV and Aids.
A statement from the watchdog said it was “in direct contact with parties who have raised concerns” and would gather evidence to see whether those running the charity, past and present, had complied with their “duties and responsibilities under charity law”.
“From the inception of Sentebale nearly 20 years ago, Prince Seeiso and I have had a clear goal – to support the children and young people in southern Africa in memory of our mothers,” said Prince Harry, responding to the charity watchdog’s announcement.
On Thursday, Ms Chandauka said in a statement that the concerns brought to the commission included “governance, administration and management matters”. The Sentebale head said she hoped the public and donors would now see there was a new board of trustees “acting appropriately to demonstrate and ensure good governance and a healthy culture”.
I can’t wait for Sophie Chandauka to claim that the Charity Commission is harassing her and engaging in misogynoir by investigating her unhinged lies and bullsh-t claims. I would assume that Harry, Seeiso and the former trustees have ample documentation as well, especially regarding Chandauka’s consultant spending spree, as well as the current state of Sentebale’s accounts. I don’t know how the UK’s Charity Commission operates and whether they would truly have a mechanism to remove Chandauka though. But it sounds like this investigation is simply what has to happen first before both sides can move forward. My guess is that Harry and Seeiso might even have to sue Chandauka before this is all said and done.
Statement from Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
“No one suffers more than the beneficiaries of Sentebale itself….We remain hopeful this will allow for the charity to be put in the right hands immediately, for the sake of the communities we serve.”#PrinceHarry pic.twitter.com/kP9YBKX34b
— ChrisBaronSmith (@ChrisBaronSmit1) April 3, 2025
Photos courtesy of Sky News, Getty, Cover Images.
